MetaFilter posts tagged with europe and languagehttp://www.metafilter.com/tags/europe+language
Posts tagged with 'europe' and 'language' at MetaFilter.Mon, 25 May 2015 07:13:02 -0800Mon, 25 May 2015 07:13:02 -0800en-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60The Unsung Heroes of Eurovisionhttp://www.metafilter.com/149912/The%2DUnsung%2DHeroes%2Dof%2DEurovision
The 2015 Eurovision Song Contest winner <a href="http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=sweden_wins_2015_eurovision_song_contest">has now been crowned</a> (<a href="http://www.metafilter.com/149881/10-points-go-to-Sweden">previously</a>), but the real stars of the contest were the fabulous and entertaining International Sign interpreters. For the first time ever, viewers of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest had the option <a href="http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=eurovision_sign_project_-_we_write_history">to watch the entire contest</a> with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Sign">International Sign</a> (IS) interpretation</a>. A team of interpreters, almost all of them Deaf themselves, spent months extracting key themes from each song and creating recorded interpretations to be incorporated into the live broadcasts. The resulting performances, including hosting duties handled by <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=1h49m51s">Sandra Schügerl</a> and <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=13m2s">Georg Marsh</a>, are often more entertaining than the original, and have a lot to offer even hearing audiences. However, team leader Delil Yilmaz <a href="http://songcontest.orf.at/events/stories/2692040/">differentiates their work</a> from that of interpreter Tommy Krångh (<a href="http://www.metafilter.com/147987/In-the-world-of-sign-language-this-man-is-Michael-Jackson">previously</a>), whose gestures could "produce visual overload" for Deaf viewers.
Watch the full IS recordings of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI">first semifinal</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE">second semifinal</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo">Grand Final</a>, or check out individual performances:
Camilla Abelgren-Michaelsen
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&1h14m20s">Albania</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=59m8s">Belarus</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=45m23s">Czech Republic</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=1h10m12s">Denmark</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo&t=1h32m23s">Germany</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=53m29s">Latvia</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=1h24m6s">Poland</a>
Jonas Akanno
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=24m42s">Belgium</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=32m57s">Finland</a>
Xiaoshu Alice Hu
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo&t=1h10m22s">Australia</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=1h22m39s">Georgia</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=14m5s">Lithuania</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=16m27s">Moldova</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=28m46s">Netherlands</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=22m15s">San Marino</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=51m2s">Serbia</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=1h20m1s">Slovenia</a>
Ragna Huse
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=20m37s">Armenia</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=55m5s">Hungary</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=1h1m43s">Iceland</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=30m33s">Malta</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=41m18s">Portugal</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=1h3m24s">Russia</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo&t=1h48m40s">Spain</a>
Karin Lang
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo&t=1h18m23s">Austria</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=42m57s">Estonia</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=39m2s">Greece</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=18m10s">Ireland</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=26m25s">Montenegro</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=37m12s">Norway</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=1h11m51s">Switzerland</a>
Delil Yilmaz
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=57m36s">Azerbaijan</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo&t=2h43m43s">Conchita Medley</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=1h15m53s">Cyprus</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo&t=28m47s">France</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=46m57s">FYR Macedonia</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=49m27s">Israel</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo&t=2h13m17s">Italy</a>
-- Rise Like a Phoenix, <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=4m44s">Part I</a> and <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=10m36s">Part 2</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=LQIzW2PMGlI&t=1h18m31s">Romania</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=TuwL93xDtCE&t=1h7m44s">Sweden</a>
-- <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=H-wJXREikYo&t=40m56s">United Kingdom</a> tag:metafilter.com,2015:site.149912Mon, 25 May 2015 07:13:02 -0800zebraGood evening, Europe ... and Australia!http://www.metafilter.com/148175/Good%2Devening%2DEurope%2Dand%2DAustralia
With all of the national selections now made, let's take a look at how the <a href="http://eurovision.tv">Eurovision Song Contest</a>'s 60th anniversary is shaping up. Terribad songs ahead; enter at your own risk. For the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest (May 19-23 in Vienna, Austria), Europe is pulling out all the stops. As <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/146915/Good-evening-Vienna-This-is-Sydney-calling">previously noted</a>, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Broadcasting_Union">EBU</a> has invited Australia to participate not just as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUsJi8nKsj0">an interval act</a>, but as a fully-fledged competitor.
In addition, the Eurovision.tv team has put together <a href="http://60th.eurovision.tv/">a virtual ode to Eurovision</a> combining information about each contest (performance photos and videos, set design drawings, fun facts, etc) with geopolitical context from each decade. Not sure where to start? Use the <a href="http://matchmaker.eurovision.tv/">Matchmaker</a> to determine which ESC decade you belong to.
And lest we forget, later this month the BBC is producing a "<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/03/eurovision-2015-conchita-wurst-joins-bbc-60th-anniversary-special">Greatest Hits</a>" concert, to be held in London and broadcast throughout Europe. Co-hosted by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Norton">Graham Norton</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29tZAqJKtxs">Petra Mede</a>, a number of big Eurovision names -- including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaolVEJEjV4">Conchita Wurst</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3f9v8ebuD4">Emmelie de Forest</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfo-8z86x80">Loreen</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ5B6w-Baxs">Dana</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWVuuvqEArE">International</a>, and <a href="https://youtu.be/vccwzuttIQY?t=53s">Johnny</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSXx7-EceBA">Logan</a> -- have <a href="http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=final_acts_revealed_for_60th_anniversary_event">already been confirmed in the lineup</a>.
<b>The 2015 Contest</b>
As for the contest itself, <a href="http://www.oddschecker.com/tv/eurovision/winner">the bookmakers</a> have Sweden as the favorites, with Italy and Estonia following close behind. It's worth noting that the bookmakers were very wrong last year at this point; Conchita Wurst <a href="http://metro.co.uk/2014/05/09/eurovision-2014-austrias-conchita-wurst-is-already-looking-like-a-eurovision-winner-4722190/">started last year's contest in 25th place</a> before <a href="http://wiwibloggs.com/2014/05/09/eurovision-odds-austria-netherlands-narrow-sweden/49961/">skyrocketing to the top of the odds</a>.
Some of the more interesting stories / tidbits so far include:
-- <a href="http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=pertti_kurikan_nimipaeivaet_win_umk_in_finland">Finland's selection</a>, <a href="http://www.perttikurikannimipaivat.fi/">PKN</a>, a quartet formed at a cultural workshop for people with learning disabilities (and the subject of a <a href="http://kovasikajuttu.fi/en/">2012 documentary</a>). True to their punk rock style, PKN's entry is only 90 seconds long, well below the 3-minute time limit. There are also two other entrants this year with known disabilities; John Egan has written a great piece about <a href="http://www.escinsight.com/2015/03/17/building-bridges-disability-and-the-eurovision-song-contest/">performer disabilities at Eurovision</a>, including some historical context.
-- Armenia, whose delegation decided (were forced?) to <a href="http://www.escdaily.com/ebu-armenia-to-change-song-title/">change the name of their song</a> from "Don't Deny" to "Face the Shadows." According to the EBU, the Armenian broadcaster made this change "in order to take away any suggestion of political intent behind the song." (In 1915, the Ottoman Empire <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide">massacred 1.5 million Armenians</a>; the Turkish government denies this massacre constituted genocide. Twenty-three countries and the UN (among other organizations) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide_recognition">have formally recognized it as such</a>.)
-- <a href="http://www.bellingencourier.com.au/story/2950813/eurovision-2015-interpreter-tommy-krangh-steals-spotlight-in-hilarious-fashion/">Tommy Krangh</a>, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0OeBrQBPNc">awesome</a> sign-language <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaDob2RQldM">interpreter</a> during Melodifestivalen, Sweden's national selection process. (Also <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/147987/In-the-world-of-sign-language-this-man-is-Michael-Jackson">previously</a>.)
-- The somewhat inevitable <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDZFMClmP24&feature=youtu.be">Potato Waffles mashup</a> version of "Still in Love with You" by Electro Velvet from the UK.
<b>Entry Videos</b>
While the exact order of songs is still being drawn up, we already know who will be performing in which half of each semifinal. Countries can and do tweak their entries right up until the Grand Final, so keep an eye on the official <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/eurovision">Eurovision Song Contest</a> YouTube channel and <a href="http://eurovision.tv">Eurovision.tv</a> for updates.
<b>Semifinal 1 (19th of May)</b> (Also voting: Australia, Austria, France, and Spain)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmWYEDTNOGUKMak-HlovxZG80RevGxulL">Full SF1 Playlist</a>
First Half:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVVvgD0-Mu0">Armenia</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV2b3L1K6_c">Belgium</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz0PTmUDQMc">Estonia</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR6BixXmo08">Finland</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8QCt6CJCHc">FYR Macedonia</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7xKMnNcVdM">Greece</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVN723iwj8c">Moldova</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSZwKW3RqT0">Netherlands</a>
Second Half:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZJdWUmxxZw">Albania</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8ZADtaAvDA">Belarus</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8u3_DsIN2E">Denmark</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZrRQSI_pcQ">Georgia</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z52QQG1hboo">Hungary</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toWkUNoFHwk">Romania</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBVY7Glcd84">Russia</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zCz_fJa1yA">Serbia</a>
<b>Semifinal 2 (21st of May)</b> (Also voting: Australia, Germany, Italy, and the UK)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmWYEDTNOGUJPBF3d2DPcAKmaTY4Zt0-E">Full SF2 Playlist</a>
First Half:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_o44RdxYTY">Czech Republic</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBZ7XSYX90E">Ireland</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cqk5ZdrfSk">Lithuania</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wevxW3l_tkg">Malta</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4giAO-2aICo">Montenegro</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1td70yaoS8">Norway</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xowMYNzYWbE">Portugal</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5of_gx0kjA">San Marino</a>
Second Half:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYsj1fFE1Xw">Azerbaijan</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXU2Hehc4wY">Cyprus</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sov_pE1cdFY">Iceland</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdxOCTezeTg">Israel</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnVbR98J7Q4">Latvia</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fjWLzeQ9K8">Poland</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oOQKYopwJ4">Slovenia</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_3JY7OKW8I">Sweden</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n_pXW3p74Q">Switzerland</a>
<b>Grand Final Auto-Qualifiers (23rd of May)</b> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest#Big_Four_and_Big_Five">Big Five</a>, plus host country and Australia)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmWYEDTNOGUK4Unr8ma3cmiQFQoy0P4a1">Full Grand Final Playlist</a>
First Half:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duW-PsDbysg">Austria</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG_WJU2s5ho">France</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-g92hNNbPQ">Spain</a>
Second Half:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7u4RwkNAY0">Germany</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TEpHTVWXnM">Italy</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6r1tUhl1cQ">United Kingdom</a>
Third Half?:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7MwzRBEY_M">Australia</a> tag:metafilter.com,2015:site.148175Sat, 21 Mar 2015 09:57:52 -0800zebraBorder crossings and shiftshttp://www.metafilter.com/120247/Border%2Dcrossings%2Dand%2Dshifts
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/arts/09abroad.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all">Who Draws The Borders Of Culture?</a>(NYTimes) Cultural border, as opposed to national borders, are funny things. One country can contain <a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/04/invisible-borders-define-american-culture/1839/">many</a> (Coke vs. Soda. Vs. Pop, <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/58695/Id-like-a-coke-What-kind-Huh-Dr-Pepper-Coke-or-Sprite-Ill-take-Dr-Pepper-Coke">previously</a> and <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/19962/The-new-national-divide">previously-er</a>). Cultural borders often appear as food and drink choices, like <a href="http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/317-tea-as-a-northsouth-litmus-test">sweet tea</a>, <a href="http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/442-distilled-geography-europes-alcohol-belts">forms of alcohol</a>, <a href="http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/246-southern-sauce-sources">or BBQ</a> <a href="http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/BBQ_sauces/bbq_sauce_types.html"> sauce</a>. Different types of borders can run together and separate, like <a href="http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/12-europes-divides">Protestant vs. Catholic vs. Orthodox and Romance vs. Germanic vs. Slavic</a>, or <a href="http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/24-europes-north-south-divides">climate and the extent of vineyards</a>, or <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/17/family-ties-3/">prevailing family structure</a>. A region, like <a href="http://www.breizh.net/identity/saozneg/brittany_borders.htm">Brittany</a>, can be defined in more ways than one. The place where zones meet gives rise to the <a href="http://www.guernicamag.com/art/the-edge-effect/">edge effect</a> in ecology, and source of <a href="http://thebrowser.com/interviews/shahram-khosravi-on-world-borders">conflict</a> for humans. National borders can be <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/09/life-on-the-edge-7-of-the-worlds-most-fascinating-border-towns/245519/#slide1">odd things</a>, slicing <a href="http://thebrowser.com/interviews/claudia-sadowski-smith-on-border-stories">through</a> people's lives.
Even national borders that no longer <a href="http://thebrowser.com/interviews/norman-davies-on-europe%E2%80%99s-vanished-states">exist</a> bear down on the present - in what used to be <a href="http://www.voxeu.org/article/habsburg-empire-and-long-half-life-economic-institutions">the Habsburg Empire</a> or the <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/the-dividing-of-a-continent-africas-separatist-problem/262171/">colonial divisions of Africa</a>.
<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/node/64975/?cid=oth_partner_site-atlantic%22">Borders are not static</a>, not even <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/parag_khanna_maps_the_future_of_countries.html">the ones on the map.</a> tag:metafilter.com,2012:site.120247Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:12:22 -0800the man of twists and turnsThe Lithuanian Press Ban, 1864-1904http://www.metafilter.com/83198/The%2DLithuanian%2DPress%2DBan%2D18641904
From 1864 to 1904, the Russian Empire tried to quelch the nationalism of Lithuanians by ordering all Lithuanian texts to be printed with Cyrillic characters instead of in the Latin-derived Lithuanian or Polish alphabets. But they didn't count on the Knygnešiai - <a href="http://www.spaudos.lt/Knygnesiai/Turinys.en.htm">the Booksmugglers</a>. Working in Lithuanian-speaking areas of East Prussia, now the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and parts of the Polish voivodeship of Warmia and Masuria, and with texts printed locally and sometimes from as far away as the United States, many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motiejus_Valan%C4%8Dius">thousands</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurgis_Bielinis">people</a> over the decades worked to transmit books, leaflets, journals, and other written works over the heavily guarded border, risking imprisonment and exile to Siberia; over three thousand people were caught. A harrowing recollection of what it was like to dodge the military patrols can be found <a href="http://www.spaudos.lt/Knygnesiai/Father.en.htm">here</a>. The movement also was assisted by a network of clandestine "village" lessons in the language outside the school system, organized through local churches and civic organizations.
The Lithuanian National Movement, active before independence, <a href="http://www.lituanus.org/1996/96_3_03.htm">used the language to resist Russification</a> and, later, promote the cause for an independent state. When Lithuania became independent again in the early 1990s, the back of the 5-lita banknote featured an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:5_litai_(1993).jpg">image</a> of a sculpture of a woman teaching a child to read Lithuanian in defiance of the press ban.
The anti-Lithuanian language effort had been part of Tsar Alexander II's Russification campaign across all of the lands Russia had absorbed through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland">partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth</a>. After the <a href="http://www.archiwa.gov.pl/memory/sub_listakrajowa/index.php?fileid=018&va_lang=en">Uprising of 1863</a>, St. Petersburg attempted to create a divide between the Polonized Catholic nobility, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szlachta">szlachta</a>, and the Lithuanian-speaking rural populations in order to allow Russian language and culture to supplant the Catholic, Latin heritage left behind by the Commonwealth.
Today, Lithuanian is spoken by between four and five million people, has made a cameo appearance on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkEw805nZCE">CSI: New York</a>, and, like everyone these days, <a href="http://lithuanian.libsyn.com/">has a podcast</a>. Lithuanian has also been the focus of much attention in linguistics circles for its links to Proto-Indo-European (PIE), the theoretical progenitor to all the Indo-European languages. Some early texts in Lithuanian can be found at the University of Texas at Austin's Linguistics Research Center <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/ietexts/lit/">here</a>. Check out some Indo-European roots yourself with <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4IHbQgz1nZYC&dq=indo-european+roots&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=1ORztU3lYV&sig=JRmk8IL8yH5wa-s_8i73m1rvSss&hl=en&ei=EiBaSp6WG4WmnQP2z_ndCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10">this</a> Google Books preview of the <em>American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots</em>.
And this year, <a href="http://www.culturelive.lt/en/main/">Vilnius hosts the European Capital of Culture</a> title together with Linz, Austria. It's a quick hop from most of Europe and an amazing destination for anyone into the culture and history of the region. tag:metafilter.com,2009:site.83198Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:17:27 -0800mdonleyThe Economist: The World in 2009http://www.metafilter.com/76924/The%2DEconomist%2DThe%2DWorld%2Din%2D2009
In 2009, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12574162">a remarkably gifted politician, confronting a remarkably difficult set of challenges</a>, will <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12375981">have to learn to say "No we can't"</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12574165">Guantánamo will prove a moral minefield</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12574168">economic recovery will be invisible to the naked eye</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494430">governments must prepare for the day they stop financial guarantees</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494427">we will judge our commitment to sustainability</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494436">scientists should research the causes of religion</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12499877">we will all be potential online paparazzi</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494445">English will have more words than any other language</a> (but it's meaningless), <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494516">Afghanistan will see a surge of Western (read: American) troops</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494545">Iran will continue its nuclear quest</a> while <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494575">diplomacy lies in shambles</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494593">the sea floor is the new frontier</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494596">we should rethink aging</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494470">(non-)voters will continue to thwart the European project</a> -- <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494473">but cheap travel will continue to buoy it</a> -- <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494503">though it has some unfinished business to attend to</a>, and <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494485">a Nordic defence bond will blossom</a>.<br><br><a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/">The Economist: The World in 2009</a>. Previously: <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/66976/The-Economist-The-World-in-2008">2008</a>, <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/56666/The-Economist-The-World-in-2007">2007</a>.
<a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494578">How did we do</a> last time around? And what will we <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494581">probably be wrong about</a> this time?
Guest contributions:
President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494572">seeks greater international cooperation and sees a growing global role for the larger emerging economies</a>.
Queen of Jordan Rania <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494560">calls for education reform</a>.
Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494537">calls upon mid-size powers to be creative and effective with their influence</a>.
Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494491">emphasizes the importance of transparency and solidarity in Europe</a>.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494497">wedged between Russia and the EU, cites historical precedent</a>.
Former Secretary of State of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Henry Kissinger <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12574180">argues America will be less powerful, but will still be the essential nation in creating a new world order</a>.<a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494497"></a>
Mayor Boris Johnson of London <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494467"> argues against over-regulation</a>.
Elections to watch: <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494563">Brazil, Chile</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494470">European Parliament</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494476">Germany</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494534">Indonesia</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494548">Israel</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494528">Japan</a>.
Also: <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494494">Russia will enter its first real difficult years under Putin</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494452">Brown might not make it</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494433">we won't ban nukes but we can pretend</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494569">Ontario will receive economic help from other provinces</a>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494531">Australians will grow ever more thirsty</a>, and <a href="http://www.economist.com/theworldin/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=12494458">Britain needs to make stuff again</a>.
<a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/theworldin2009/">World in 2009 blog</a>. tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.76924Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:00:30 -0800goodnewsfortheinsaneEsta thread est en Europanto.http://www.metafilter.com/54534/Esta%2Dthread%2Dest%2Den%2DEuropanto
<a href="http://www.neuropeans.com/topic/europanto/">Que would happen if</a>, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/220511.stm">wenn Du open your Metafilter</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/03/cyber/eurobytes/24euro.html">finde eine message in esta lingua</a>? <a href="http://perso.orange.fr/enotero/europant.htm">No est Englando, no est Germano, no est Espano,</a> <a href="http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-eur2.htm">no est keine known lingua</a> - <a href="http://www.europeplusnet.info/article237.html">aber Du understande!</a> <a href="http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Lot/9522/en_euro.html">Wat happen zo!</a> <a href="http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-9703/msg00114.html">Habe your computero eine virus catched?</a> <a href="http://www.amiright.com/parody/60s/littleeva9.shtml">Habe Du sudden BSE gedeveloped?</a> No, Du esse lezendo la neue europese lingua: de <a href="http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=eur">Europanto</a>! tag:metafilter.com,2006:site.54534Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:16:33 -0800goodnewsfortheinsaneA podcast for learning Italian.http://www.metafilter.com/53020/A%2Dpodcast%2Dfor%2Dlearning%2DItalian
<a href="http://learnitalianpod.com/">learnitalianpod</a> - a thoroughly archived podcast that can teach you to speak Italian. <small><a href="http://www.learnitalianpod.com/feed/">RSS</a></small> tag:metafilter.com,2006:site.53020Sat, 15 Jul 2006 02:58:54 -0800nthdegx